Friend or Foe?
by Sabertooth Kitty
Summary: NEW DM 7- When the agency acquires a sassy, young spy by the name Rachel Coon, she soon goes after the one thing that has been keeping the agency alive... Danger Mouse's career!


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Friend or Foe??

Rated PG for mild violence and crude humor.

I do not own any character or setting that is already property of _Cosgrove Hall Films_. Judas Franklin, Sabrina Panthera, and Rachel Coon are **my** characters, and should not be used without my permission.

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Author's Note: As you may have already guessed, we have yet another new character added to the series named Rachel Coon. Who is she, you might ask? Well, let's just say that more is brewing within the agency than one might expect at first…

In the wondrous beauty of the English countryside, an abandoned barnyard laid in shambles. The farmer and his family had moved to the city years ago, so their property was left to rot at the hands of the government.

Suddenly, three courageous heroes- Danger Mouse, his assistant Penfold, and their recruit Judas- burst from the barn and ran outside. In the agent's hands was a small brown sack, obviously containing something valuable.

The intrepid trio jumped into the _Mark III_, a vehicle of impressive espionage engineering, and DM started up the engine. "We'd better hurry," he murmured. "Greenback will be after us if we don't get moving."

Judas nodded, glancing back at the barn. "Yeah," he agreed, "but I can't help wondering… what would the Baron want with a formula for extra-sticky bubble-gum? And why hide it out here? Why not in one of those abandoned factories somewhere in London??"

The agent rolled his eyes as he activated the _Mark III_. "Judas, you've just answered your own question," he remarked. "It would have been too obvious."

"Oh, sure!" Judas snapped. "Blame the college kid!"

Irritated, Danger Mouse shot a glance at his recruit. "Judas, shush!" he demanded.

As the three heroes soared high into the sky, Penfold turned around to get a good view of the barnyard and soon discovered something quite disturbing. "Um, DM," he addressed, "we're being followed!"

DM turned his head slightly, seeing the _Frog's Head Flyer_ in hot pursuit of them. "Good grief," he muttered, then noticing that they were firing at them. "Well, this calls for some fancy driving!"

Somewhat worried, Judas strapped on the seat-belt. "Hold on to your seat, and your lunch," he warned Penfold. "It's gonna be a bumpy ride!"

While the _Mark III_ tumbled about in midair, the _Frog's Head Flyer_ followed close behind, attempting to shoot down the agent and his confidants. Baron Greenback was determined to trap the world in a super-sticky bubble-gum mess, but not while Danger Mouse was around!

At that moment, another figure dropped from the sky, equipped with a large black parachute and a mask to conceal their identity. Landing on the _Frog's Head Flyer_, the figure disappeared underneath the parachute and began their tasks. A minute or so later, the hovering craft began to falter and eventually fell to the ground.

Looking over his shoulder, Judas then glanced at the agent. "Hey, Chief!" he shouted. "I think we lost him!"

Danger Mouse sighed in relief. "Finally," he said, slowing down the _Mark III_. "Let's get this formula back to the authorities and head for home."

The recruit nodded, holding his head out over the side of the vehicle. "Sure," he agreed. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think my breakfast is about to jump ship…"

Later that day, Danger Mouse and Penfold sat in the parlor of the Mayfare pillar-box. As the agent read up on the latest crime sprees, his assistant slept comfortably beside him.

A toilet flush alerted DM, noticing a rather discomforted Judas stumble into the room. "Back from the water-closet?" he queried. "You spent quite some time in there."

"Don't remind me," Judas groaned, lying down on the couch. "I've never been so sick in all my life… maybe you should call that professor guy, see if he has anything for car-sickness."

Concerned, the agent nodded. "Of course," he answered, approaching the video-screen. "I'm sure Professor Squawkencluck has something that'll fix you right up."

Before DM could type any number on the keypad, the screen flickered on and Colonel K appeared onscreen. "Ah, Danger Mouse," he addressed, "just the agent I want to see."

DM sighed heavily; Judas' queasy stomach would have to wait for now. "Yes, what's that, sir?"

"It seems as if we have a new agent on the force," Colonel K informed. "Her name's Rachel Coon- she's a smart young girl from here in the UK. According to her, she helped you out of a tight situation with Baron Greenback this morning."

Surprised, Judas raised his head. "Say what?!" he questioned.

Colonel K nodded. "That's right," he responded, "and she should be over any minute now to thank you for your efforts, and I'm sure you'll want to thank her for her help."

Danger Mouse nodded in agreement. "Right, sir," he replied. "Over and out."

The colonel nodded hastily. "Yes, of course," he said as the screen flickered off.

Confused, Judas followed DM into the kitchen. "Hold on," he snapped, sitting down at the table. "Who the heck is Rachel Coon??"

The agent poured himself a cup of tea and sat down next to Judas. "That's what I'd like to know," he admitted. "Even I didn't know that she was helping us this morning."

Judas thought for a moment as Danger Mouse sipped his tea. "Wonder what she's like," he murmured. "Is she prim and proper, or more of the adventuring type? Is she single??"

Laughing, DM shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous, Judas," he remarked. "Agents are only allowed to marry within the agency, and even then few married agents are on the service. Dating is almost out of the question!"

The recruit shrugged. "Hey, it could happen!" he pointed out.

The sound of the doorbell alerted the agent and his recruit; it even awoke Penfold from his slumber. They all went to answer the door, and received quite a pleasant surprise- there stood a tall, shapely female raccoon. Her all-black attire- long-sleeved shirt, gloves, utility belt, cargo pants, and boots- blended well with her fur pattern.

DM smiled. "Rachel Coon, I presume," he addressed.

The female raccoon nodded in response. "Clever one, aren't you?" she complimented, passing by Penfold and Judas. "Good afternoon, boys."

While Penfold stood in utter confusion, Judas stared wide-eyed at Rachel. "Holy cow," he muttered. "She's **hot!**"

In an attempt to save the dignity of his team, Danger Mouse elbowed his recruit in the chest. "Judas, shush!" he snapped, glancing back at Rachel. "I apologize for him, Ms. Coon; he's a young college boy."

Rachel laughed. "It's quite alright," she responded, seating herself on the couch. "You wouldn't believe how often I've heard it."

Perplexed, Penfold looked up to his chief. "Um, sir," he whispered, pointing to the female raccoon, "who is she?"

"That, Penfold, is the agency's newest operative- Rachel Coon," DM replied, turning his attention to the female agent once more. "I believe we owe you a word of gratitude, Ms. Coon; thank you for your help in our earlier mission."

Smiling, Rachel nodded. "No trouble at all," she answered. "I was only doing my job." She looked at Penfold and Judas curiously. "And who, might I ask, are these fine gentlemen?"

The agent chuckled. "Oh, I'm sorry- how rude of me," he apologized, introducing his confidants to the new agent. "This is Ernest Penfold, my assistant, but we just call him Penfold. This here is Judas Franklin, my recruit from America."

Judas blushed slightly. "Ah, sorry about the whole thing I said earlier," he murmured. "No offense, really."

The female raccoon smirked. "None taken, and I forgive you," she answered. "If it's any consolation, I can see you have fine taste in women."

Flustered, Judas blushed brightly. "Um, thanks," he remarked.

After what seemed like an endless awkward pause, Danger Mouse took Rachel by the hand. "Ah, let's sit down and have a fresh cup of tea," he suggested. "Perhaps we should get to know each other better?"

Ms. Coon smiled. "Yes, of course," she agreed. "I'd like that…"

Meanwhile, back at Baron Greenback's hidden headquarters, he had called a meeting between himself and his two head henchmen. "Stiletto, Sabrina," he addressed, "what happened?? How could you have let that agent get inside and foil out plans?!"

Sabrina growled. "How could we **not**?" she spat. "She sneaked inside, and we were busy trying to shoot down Danger Mouse! We couldn't have known!!"

With a heavy sigh, the Baron turned away. "Well, it better not happen again," he warned. "In any case, I want the two of you working on a new plot I have conjured. Stiletto, the plans are in the workshop- get to work!"

Stiletto sighed and nodded. "Si, Barone," he replied.

As the two henchmen left Greenback's office, Sabrina turned to her friend. "Who the heck did she think she was?" she muttered. "One thing's for sure- the next time I see her, she's gonna be road-kill!"

In an attempt to calm her nerves, Stiletto placed his hand on Sabrina's shoulder. "Ai, it's okay," he reassured. "Maybe we no see her again any-road."

The female feline smiled. "Thanks," she remarked, "but I wouldn't be so sure. Still, at least we won't have to deal with her as much as Danger Mouse… at least, I don't _think _so."

Taking out a wrench from his pocket, Stiletto gave his friend a sidelong look. "Don't-a **think**," he advised, adding a smile. "Just-a **do**."

Smirking, Sabrina chuckled lightly. "Stiletto," she murmured, playfully elbowing her friend in the side, "quit being such a wise guy…"

For the next few hours, Danger Mouse and Rachel Coon seemed to be getting along quite well. Her record was almost as impressive as his own!

Of course, the young hamster and the American pooch weren't as fortunate. Penfold found himself twiddling his fingers to keep himself amused while Judas rested his head on the kitchen table, half-asleep.

Upon noticing his comrades' dismay, DM stood and gestured them into the parlor. "Would you excuse us for a moment?" he asked.

"Of course," Rachel replied, gently tapping her fingers on the table.

Once they managed to make it to the parlor, the agent stood by the door as his friends propped themselves against the wall. "Boys," he addressed, "perhaps it would be a good idea for the two of you to take the afternoon off?"

Judas let out a wide yawn. "Where would we go?" he questioned.

Of course, Danger Mouse had already figured out the details. "Tell me, Judas," he queried, "have you ever taken a tour of London?"

Perplexed, Judas tilted his head and cocked his ears slightly. "Apart from the street-corners, fast-food places, and that tacky coffee shop two blocks from here?" he questioned sarcastically. "I don't think so. Why?"

DM reached into his pocket and found a few twenty-pound notes, along with some spare change. "Take it and get an education for a change," he snapped, handing the money to his recruit. "Do a little sight-seeing, and take Penfold with you."

Needless to say, the recruit was a bit surprised, but nevertheless saw an opportunity to take advantage of the agent's haste. "Can I take the car?" he inquired.

In his hesitation, the agent grabbed his keys and almost handed them to Judas; thankfully, he remembered what happened the **last** time the pooch was in-control of the car. "Wait a moment," he murmured, "I'm not_ that _desperate."

Chuckling a little, Judas grabbed his jacket. "And I was _so_ close, too," he remarked, gesturing to Penfold. "Come on, little guy- let's give our pal some privacy with the nice lady."

Quickly, Penfold slipped on his coat and followed Judas out the door. "Goodbye, chief," he said, waving his hand with a smile.

The recruit smirked. "Later, dude," he commented, closing the door behind him. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

Danger Mouse rolled his eyes. _Good grief,_ he thought. _I'm not sure whether that's **good **or **bad** advice._

Just the same, DM returned to the kitchen and took his seat next to the new female agent. "Well," he began, "since my assistant and my recruit are both gone for the afternoon, perhaps you and I can have more engaging conversations." 

Rachel nodded. "I agree," she responded, standing from her seat and approaching one of the cabinets. "There is something that I have been meaning to speak with you about." She took an elongated bottle from the cabinet and two wine glasses that had already been set on the counter. "Can I interest you in a drink?"

The agent shook his head. "Not now," he answered. 

A tad disappointed, Rachel respected his wishes and poured only one glass. "In any case," she continued, taking her glass of wine back to the table, "I was hoping I could talk to you about your status."

To say the least, Danger Mouse was somewhat confused. "My… status?" he repeated.

Nodding, the female agent sipped from her glass of wine. "Indeed, Danger Mouse," she remarked, "you have quite a prestigious occupation… one that generates a certain amount of envy among your fellow agents."

Still, DM did not see what Ms. Coon was trying to point out. "They all have the same job I do," he reasoned. "They could have the glory that comes from my work if they tried hard enough."

"Yet somehow, that hardly seems to be enough," Rachel murmured. "Perhaps I could interest you in a bargain?"

For a moment, the agent was silent. "A bargain?" he questioned. "What type of bargain are you getting at?"

Frustrated, Ms. Coon thought it best to come right out and say it. "I want a position on your team," she replied.

Needless to say, Danger Mouse found himself in a difficult situation. "Well, Ms. Coon," he said, "there is a bit of a problem with your request. You see, I already have both an assistant and a recruit; every optional position is full. There is simply no room for you."

Of course, Rachel wasn't about to give up so easily. "Maybe I can… coerce you into the idea?" she asked, pouring another glass of wine.

DM laughed. "Really, Ms. Coon," he commented, "I don't doubt your efforts at all, but how exactly do you plan to persuade me?"

Rachel smirked. "It's simple," she explained, gently tapping the wine glass. "You said so yourself, Danger Mouse- they're mere boys. I can provide you with _so _much more than they can."

Realizing what Rachel was getting at, the agent had become wary of her… and perhaps a tad afraid. "Would you excuse me for a moment?" he queried.

The female agent nodded. "Of course," she agreed.

With that gesture, Danger Mouse quickly ran into the parlor and jumped onto the couch. He descended into the garage and slipped into the _Mark III_, speeding out of the garage and into the streets of London.

Rachel Coon sighed heavily. "Well," she muttered, "he has to come back _sometime_…"

Judas rushed down the street, carrying a panicked Penfold on his shoulders. He only had so much time to make it across without getting run over!

Once they had reached the other side of the street, Judas carefully put Penfold back on the ground. "Holy cow," he muttered. "You'd have to be **Moses** to get across these streets in one piece!"

"Ooh, heck," Penfold murmured, then looking up at Judas. "You could have at least waited for the crosswalk sign!"

The recruit sneered. "Oh, just shut up," he growled.

At that moment, a familiar vehicle pulled over to the side of the street- the _Mark III_! "Penfold, Judas!" the agent called. "Quick, over here!"

Immediately, Penfold ran over and stepped inside. "Chief!" he cried.

Of course, Judas was a bit confused. "DM, what're you doing here?" he questioned. "I thought Penfold and I had the day-off! What gives??"

Danger Mouse glared at Judas. "We have no time for questions, Judas," he snapped. "Just get inside- we need to talk."

With a heavy sigh, Judas took his seat inside the _Mark III_. "Can we at least stop somewhere and get something to eat?" he asked. "I'm starving!"

Then, without warning, DM launched the _Mark III_ into hyper-drive, soaring from the streets of London into the sky. "On second thought, never mind," Judas mumbled. "I think I left my appetite back at the street-corner…"

Within the hidden walls of Greenback's secret base- more precisely, the immense underground workstation- Stiletto and Sabrina were hard at work on the Baron's latest machine. The heart of the machine, a powerful magnetic shield, had been lowered to ground level for repairs and tune ups. 

Sabrina rolled out from underneath the huge structure and stretched. "Ooh, my back!" she complained. "How long have we been working on this thing anyway?"

Stiletto shrugged, though still working beneath the mechanism. "It has been a time," he commented. "Perhaps we take a break?"

"Sure," Sabrina agreed, washing her hands in an old washbasin. "I need a few minutes to stretch my back anyway."

Sighing heavily, Stiletto crawled out from underneath the machine and stood. Sabrina's help was making the work go by a lot quicker for him… at least, it seemed that way. He never usually bothered with "counting the hours"; it was also quite helpful that his friend had her own unique charm.

The dark-furred feline turned to her friend and smiled. "Listen, I'm getting kinda hungry," she said, walking over to a small plastic bag and taking out a few bags of potato chips. "I managed to get these while the shopkeeper wasn't looking. Want one?"

The Italian henchman chuckled a little. "Si," he replied, seating himself on one of the stools. "Grazi, Sabrina."

A grin crossed Sabrina's face as she tossed her friend a bag of potato chips. "No problem," she said, sitting down beside Stiletto. "Anything for a friend, really."

Without a word, just a simple nod, Stiletto opened the bag of chips. They were friends, of course, but his personal opinion had escalated beyond mere friendship. Just the same, he was still unsure of himself, and ultimately decided to keep these feelings under wraps.

As she finished off the bag of chips, Sabrina stood up and tossed it into a nearby trash-bin. "You know, I could get used to this," she muttered. "I have all the know-how I need from auto-shop class, plus I have an on-hand expert in case I need any tips. Stiletto, it looks like you'll be seeing_ this _face around here a lot more often."

Chuckling a little, Stiletto stood and made his way back to the immense magnet structure. "I could-a get used to it," he remarked.

Sabrina smirked, joining her friend under the machine. "You better," she commented. "Ever had an assistant?"

Confused, Stiletto cocked his eyebrows. "No," he answered. "I never need a assistant. Why you ask?"

"Because," Sabrina responded, adding a laugh, "I want the position. I'm good with machines- I know I'm good enough to repair old cars, so this ought to be a cinch."

Stiletto sighed and shook his head. "I don't-a know, Sabrina," he admitted. "This-a job is a tiny more complicated than-a you might know."

The female feline laughed. "Oh, come on," she scoffed. "It can't be too much different. It's a machine- what's there to know?"

Before the hench-crow could reply, a squirt of oil to the eyes interrupted him. Panicked, he tried to roll out from under the machine, and pushed Sabrina out with him in the process. After a brief struggle, he finally managed to grab his hat and wipe away the excess oil.

As soon as he was able to see, Stiletto soon found himself in an awkward situation. There he was, lying on the floor, on top of… Sabrina??

Needless to say, Sabrina herself was a tad perplexed. "Boy, I never saw that coming," she remarked, pointing towards an open doorway. "I bet _he_ never expected it either." 

A familiar voice caught his attention. "Stiletto! Sabrina!" he yelled. "What's going on down there??"

The two comrades looked at each other for a moment, and then glanced at the Baron. "Nothing," they said simultaneously. "It's not what it looks like!"

Greenback groaned, stroking his pet caterpillar Nero. "It better not," he warned. "I'm not paying you to roughhouse."

Flustered, Sabrina stood and stared at her boss. "Baron, I hate to bring this up," she commented, helping Stiletto to stand, "but you hardly pay us at all!"

"Silence!" Baron Greenback snapped. "Do not question my authority! I'm not paying you to do that either!" With that, he left his two henchmen to their own devices.

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "Can you believe our luck?" she remarked. "The one day he comes in to check on us, and we're lying on the floor like two high-school lovers! Talk about cruel fate!"

Stiletto laughed, sliding underneath the machine again. True, it had been quite awkward, but somehow he found the moment truly remarkable…

About an hour or so later, the _Mark III_ arrived once more in the English countryside, far from London. It was a nice, tranquil place- exactly what the agent had in mind.

Danger Mouse found a small hill and parked the _Mark III_. "Alright," he said. "Now that we're here, there's something we need to talk about." He looked over to Judas, his head hung over the side of the vehicle. "Judas, are you feeling alright?"

Though still a tad nauseated, Judas raised his hand in reply. "I'm fine," he responded, lifting himself up and slumping back into the seat. "Never better. Just a little queasy, that's all."

Confused, Penfold gazed up at DM. "Um, Chief," he queried, "why are we here?"

With a heavy sigh, the agent turned to his two confidants. "Penfold, Judas," he addressed, "I may have discovered something rather unusual about Ms. Rachel Coon."

Judas perked his head up. "She's married, isn't she?" he assumed, banging his fist on the dashboard. "Dang, I knew it!"

"Hardly," Danger Mouse replied, rolling his eyes. "The problem is that she wants my position, and she'll do anything to get it."

Penfold was shocked. "Ooh, crumbs," he muttered, glancing at DM. "Didn't you have to earn that, chief?"

The agent cocked his eyebrows. "Of course," he remarked. "I have the same job as every other agent- I follow the same code, obey the same orders, go on the same missions! The position is open to any agent!"

To say the least, Judas was somewhat perplexed. "Then, how come you get a lot more fame and fortune than the others?" he inquired. "You must have done _something!_"

Irritated, Danger Mouse glared at Judas. "Penfold's right," he explained. "I was awarded my current position as top agent for my extraordinary skills, especially in the field."

Slowly, Judas was beginning to understand. "So, the position is basically open to anyone," he mumbled, glancing at the agent. "All she has to do is prove that she's a better agent."

DM chuckled at Judas' imbecility. "It's easier said than done," he commented. "It's clear to me that she doesn't have the experience I have. It would take a lot of effort for her to become a better agent than I am."

The recruit smirked. "Do I sense a bit of cockiness?" he hinted. "Don't tell me that the world's greatest secret agent _himself_ is a tad **conceited!**" 

To say the least, the agent was quite insulted. "For your information, Judas," he said, "I am **not**, in any way, egotistical- rather, I'm more self-conscious."

Unconvinced, Judas rolled his eyes. "_Sure_ you are," he murmured.

Just the same, Penfold was very worried. "Ooh, crikey," he squeaked, staring at Judas. "What if Ms. Coon takes over as top agent?? Oh, crumbs- a new chief?!"

Judas grinned. "I don't know," he admitted. "It might be nice to have an older woman for a chief…" He chuckled mischievously, adding, "It'll certainly make my duties **a lot** more pleasant."

Danger Mouse glared at his confidants. "Both of you- shush!" he ordered. "Ms. Coon will not be taking my place any time soon, no matter how much she may want it."

Despite these confident words, Judas was still wary of the situation. "How can you be sure?" he inquired.

With a heavy sigh, DM turned the ignition key and started the _Mark III_ up again. "You'll just have to trust me…"

Within the hour, the trio of heroes arrived back at the Mayfare pillar-box. They looked around cautiously; no sign of Rachel Coon.

The White Wonder breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness," he whispered. "It looks as if she's gone home." He chuckled as he turned on the lights and he, along with his three companions, headed inside. "For a moment, I almost thought that-"

"Hello, Danger Mouse," a familiar voice interrupted.

The agent, his assistant, and their recruit stopped dead in their tracks. They did not need to glance at the hallway entrance to know who it was.

DM sighed heavily. "What now?" he muttered.

A smirk crossed the raccoon's face as she approached the agent. "Why, Danger Mouse," she addressed, "I would have thought that an agent of your stature had better manners than to leave a fellow agent here, alone, in the dark."

Penfold thought for a moment, looking over to his chief. "Oh, she's got you there, DM," he remarked.

Of course, Danger Mouse was in no mood for this. "Penfold, shush!" he snapped, glaring at the female agent. "Ms. Coon, what is it that you want?"

Rachel chuckled. "Oh, Danger Mouse, don't be ridiculous," she commented, coming closer. "I have but a simple request, and with the short work I made of Greenback's henchmen this morning, I'm sure you agree that I'm top-agent material."

Angered, the agent remained disinterested. "Other agents have helped me in the past," he informed, "and they never once asked for a higher position."

Ms. Coon was unconvinced. "Well, then, I'll have to resort to… _dirtier_ tactics," she purred, running her finger along the agent's jaw-line, neck, and shoulder.

Danger Mouse stared deep into Rachel's eyes and sneered. "**No**," he growled. "Ms. Coon, how dare you try to convince me with such lewd behavior! In any case, I refuse to simply hand over a position I earned to an agent of your inexperience!"

Judas stood there in shock. _Holy cow,_ he thought. _She's making a pass at him, and he's not giving in?? Come on- I'd give **anything** to just buy her a drink!_

To say the least, Rachel was surprised to hear this. "Alright," she said calmly. "If you're not open to discussion, perhaps… we can make a wager?"

Perplexed, DM came forward. "A wager?" he inquired. "How so?"

The female agent chuckled. "It's quite simple, really," she explained, turning to Danger Mouse. "Perhaps you've heard of it- the _Case of Chance_?"

The recruit cocked his eyebrows in confusion, glancing down at Penfold. "Hey, little guy," he addressed, "what's this _Case of Chance_ deal?"

Himself confused, Penfold shrugged. "I'm not sure," he answered, looking at Danger Mouse and Rachel Coon, "but I have the feeling that we're about to find out."

"It's quite easy," Rachel began. "I follow you on the next case you're assigned, and see which of us solves the case first. If you win, you keep your position; if I win, you resign your position… and your assistants… to me."

Suddenly, Judas' ears folded back in fear. "Oh, shoot," he muttered. "That doesn't sound good."

Penfold shuddered. "Oh, crumbs," he mumbled.

DM patted his assistant on the back, in an effort to calm him down. "Steady, Penfold," he reassured, glancing back up at Rachel. "You seem so confident. Are you sure you're up to the challenge?"

Rachel smirked. "Sometimes confidence is enough to move mountains," she remarked.

Rolling his eyes, the agent came forward. "Alright, then," he agreed. "I accept your challenge."

Ms. Coon shook DM's hand, grinning evilly. "Prepare yourself for an early retirement," she warned. "It's time for a little fresh blood in the agency." With that, she turned and left.

Danger Mouse stood there for a moment, unmoving. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew how big of a mistake he made, but that was something he would have to deal with, for now…

Later that night, Stiletto and Sabrina had finished their work on Greenback's latest invention. They strode towards his office to tell him of the good news.

Sabrina smiled with pride as she and her friend stood before the Baron. "We've finished assembling that machine of yours," she reported. "Everything is repaired and fully-operational."

Greenback chuckled in delight. "Excellent," he said, gently patting Nero. "Now, load it on the _Frog's Head Flyer_, and we should be ready to put our plan into action…"

Danger Mouse, Penfold, and Judas went about the same routine the next morning. They waited, almost impatiently, for the next mission to come.

Judas was still in shock from the previous evening. "This is _just great_," he muttered, slumped over on the kitchen table. "I'm so nervous, I'm sick to my stomach!"

DM glanced at his recruit sharply. "Judas, shush!" he snapped, sitting down next to him. "You have nothing to worry about, anyway."

The recruit rolled his eyes. "Sure, easy for you to say," he murmured. "You have** no idea **what Rachel Coon is capable of! You even missed her when she was **helping us** the other day!"

Of course, the agent was not so easily swayed. "I suppose _you_ do?" he questioned, adding a laugh. "Come now, Judas- do you honestly believe that a new agent could possibly surpass the world's greatest secret agent?"

Just the same, Judas had his reasons. "You know the old saying- 'old legends die hard'?" he queried. "There's a lot of truth to that. You know what happens to old racehorses, right? They lose **one** race, and it's a one-way trip to the glue factory."

Despite this, the agent remained unconvinced. "Judas, you're overreacting," he remarked, leaning forward. "Now, I don't want to hear another word about Rachel Coon or that stupid racehorse analogy!"

Before either could say anything, the alarm sounded again. Danger Mouse, Judas, and Penfold raced to the parlor and watched for Colonel K on the video-screen. "Danger Mouse," he said, "come in, Danger Mouse! Are you there?"

"Of course," DM replied. "Go ahead, Colonel. What's the mission?"

The colonel sighed. "It's that blasted Baron again," he informed. "Turns out he's invented a gigantic magnet; plans to do something with it, but what it is we haven't figured out! You've got to get to the bottom of this and stop him!"

The agent nodded. "Right away, sir," he agreed as the video-screen flickered off. "Come, Penfold, Judas."

With that, the heroic trio jumped onto the couch and slid down the chute and into the _Mark III_. In a matter of moments, they were out on the streets of London and soaring into the sky.

Judas turned to Danger Mouse. "So, are we just gonna do this?" he queried. "Nothing special?"

DM gave the recruit a harsh glance. "I meant what I said," he snapped. "Now stop it! You ought to be focused on the mission at-hand!"

Shrugging, Judas laid back. "Okay, smart guy," he muttered. "How are we going to find him? The Colonel didn't really give us any leads."

At that moment, the agent flipped a switch on the vehicle's dashboard. "Magnetic detection," he answered. "If there is an unusually high concentration of magnetism anywhere in the world, this detector will pick up on it."

Silence followed, and only Penfold was brave enough to speak up (yes, I said **brave**- holy cow, it's not **that** unusual, is it??). "Um, chief," he addressed DM, "you don't look at all well."

Danger Mouse sighed. "Really, I'm fine," he commented, turning his attention to his own thoughts. _I may have managed to keep Judas quiet, but my own doubts about this new agent will be harder to ignore…_

About an hour or so later, the intrepid trio finally found the source of the magnet- an abandoned factory just outside Brooklyn, New York in the United States. The building itself appeared run-down- it hadn't been in production for quite some time- but it was still the perfect place for criminals of Baron Greenback's stature. 

Sighing heavily, DM and his companions stepped out of the vehicle. "Alright," he murmured, turning to Penfold and Judas. "If either of you are carrying anything made of iron, I'd suggest you leave it here in the car. Otherwise, we have to get going."

At that moment, Penfold and Judas searched their pockets for anything that even looked like it could be made of iron, tossing each item into the boot of the car. From there, they accompanied the agent inside the lonely structure.

Little did any of them suspect, however, who was hiding in the shadows…

Stiletto and Sabrina set up the giant magnet above a gigantic hole in the ground, the tunnel stretching for thousands of miles on end. In fact, the tunnel stretched all the way to the earth's core (thanks to a great deal of grenades).

Checking the angle of the magnet with the hole, Sabrina gave Stiletto a thumb's up. "She's all set," she informed. "Lock her on-target, and we can get this show on the road."

The hench-crow nodded, locking the magnet into position. After working countless hours on that machine, it felt great to finally test it out. As the old saying goes, "The bigger, the better." 

Suddenly, the dark-furred feline pricked her ears. "Hold on," she growled. "Someone else is here…" She glared at Stiletto. "We'd better split up and see what's going on."

With a quick nod, Stiletto stepped away from the control panel and began searching with Sabrina. He trusted her instincts- someone else was with them, and there could only be one culprit…

Hidden in the back, the courageous team made their way closer to the main control center. "Be careful now," the agent quietly advised. "One false move could alert them."

Soon, Danger Mouse and his confidants arrived in the main complex. Amidst the controls and scanners, a giant metallic structure hung above a giant hole in the ground.

DM stared at the machine in amazement. "Good grief," he muttered. "Whatever Greenback has in-store, it's bound to be a big challenge."

As Judas turned his back to get a good look around, he noticed that he was slowly moving towards the magnet. Shocked, he grabbed onto a nearby pillar and hung on for dear life. "DM," he whispered sharply, "help me!"

The agent glared at his recruit. "Judas," he snapped, "didn't I tell you to leave all of your magnetic items in the car??"

"My pocket-knife is essential," Judas explained. "It's not made of iron! It's mainly aluminum, along with some tin and cobalt."

Before Danger Mouse could reply, a new voice interrupted them. "For your information, dog," Sabrina spat, "cobalt _is_ a magnetic metal. This giant magnet is strong enough to grab anything attracted to it, even small amounts."

The team of heroes, particularly Judas, stood motionless. "Oh, dang," the recruit muttered, looking out of the corner of his eye. "She's right behind me, isn't she?"

Sabrina smirked. "I'm afraid so, dog," she murmured. "Look, let's just make this easy- surrender, and maybe we won't toss you into that bottomless pit we blew open."

At that moment, a new figure dropped from the rafters. "Don't move," a familiar voice ordered. "Baron Greenback, Stiletto, Sabrina- come out with your hands up, or I **will** hunt you down."

Rolling her eyes, Sabrina turned about. "I'll take care of you three later," she mumbled, turning her attention to the other intruder. "Alright, what do _you_ want?"

The figure lifted her head from the shadows, her raccoon face clearly visible. "I should be asking you the same question," she remarked, gesturing aside. "I've already taken care of your friend. He's quite the agreeable type- surrendered the moment he saw me."

The female feline growled and sauntered over next to Stiletto. "What's going on here??" she questioned. "You're not gonna just _give up_ like that, are you?!"

Despite his friend's argument, Stiletto nodded hastily. He had seen her fight before! In fact, Sabrina had seen Ms. Coon's techniques as well; he wondered why **she** wasn't giving up!

Slightly amused, Rachel smirked a little. She then brushed past the two henchmen and made her way to the agent and his confidants. "Well, Danger Mouse," she addressed, "in just a few minutes, I will have taken Greenback and his henchmen under arrest, and this whole operation will be shut down for good." She chuckled and added, "It seems as if there will be a **new** top agent."

Needless to say, Sabrina and Stiletto had overheard the raccoon agent. They glanced at each other and shrugged; sure, she was good, but even they had to admit that DM was better!

At that moment, Rachel turned about and glared at the two henchmen. "Now, as for you two," she uttered, "you're both under arrest, for attempted world domination."

Immediately, the Italian henchman did what he could to get out of this mess, and pass the blame. "Hey, is-a no me," he admitted. "Barone- he's-a the one you want-a!"

Ms. Coon sneered. "Shut up," she ordered.

Angered, Sabrina stepped in. "Now, listen here, _Road-kill_," she snapped. "Nobody talks to Stiletto like that!"

Though surprised, Stiletto straightened himself and added a silly grin. He never knew that he was **that** important to Sabrina- he felt so appreciated.

Of course, Sabrina had more to say. "Only **I** can say that to him," she remarked. 

Stiletto stood back, eyes widened in shock. Still, he had to expect it sometime- glory was often a short-lived feeling for him.

Before her friend could speak, Sabrina hushed the hench-crow. "Shut up, Stiletto," she warned. "This could get ugly."

Himself amused with the scene, Judas laid back against the wall and watched the females quarrel. "Cat fight," he muttered.

Quickly, the two females turned around- obviously, neither of them was amused with Judas' comment. "Well, what do you think?" Rachel inquired, giving Sabrina a sidelong look. "How should we handle this?"

Grinning evilly, the dark-furred feline cracked her knuckles in a threatening gesture. "I'll break his legs," she suggested, gazing into the frightful canine's eyes. "You go for the throat."

Suddenly, before the raccoon agent could step forward, a compelling force drew her back. She flew back, her limbs outstretched, and hit the giant magnet in seconds.

Stunned, the trio of heroes stepped out of the shadows. "Huh," Judas mumbled. "Didn't see that one coming, did we?"

Rachel growled angrily. "You dirty rotters!" she barked. "I demand you release me **now!**"

The Italian henchman chuckled lightly. "I dunno, Missy Coon," he remarked. "Is a _long way down_ from-a where you're hanging."

Sabrina smirked, sauntering over next to her friend. "Nice work, Stiletto," she said, gently nudging him in the side. "I'll return the favor someday."

Danger Mouse stepped forward, readily standing in a martial arts position. "You might not get the chance," he threatened. "Now, will you both come quietly or will I have to use force?"

At that moment, the ground beneath their feet began to shake. Nervous, they all stood quietly, dead in their tracks.

Curious, Judas glanced at the monitors out of the corner of his eye and saw something unusual. "Oh boy," he muttered, walking over to get a better look. "Whatever this is, it can't be good."

Himself worried, DM approached the monitor. "Good grief!" he gasped. "This is a radar scan of the Earth- the tunnel runs through to the earth's core. Apparently, the magnet was supposed to dull the magnetic metals at the Earth's core; had this gone unchecked, the whole planet would have gone into a stand-still in a matter of days!"

An awkward pause alerted the American pooch. "So…" he said, "… that's a _bad_ thing, right?"

It was then that the monitor caught Penfold's attention. "Oh, crikey," he murmured. "DM, what is that??"

The agent squinted, looking carefully at the view-screen. "Well, if this is the Earth," he reasoned, "and this is the tunnel, then that must be the core. But, what on earth… good grief! It's moving!"

Shocked, Judas glared at the screen. "What the heck??" he screamed. "Holy cow- _it is moving! _And it's headed right for us!!"

Both angry and afraid, Sabrina turned to Stiletto. "This was not supposed to happen," she growled, grabbing her friend by the shoulders. "This was **not** supposed to happen!** This was not supposed to happen!!**"

"Crumbs, Chief!" Penfold yelped. "What'll we do now??"

With a heavy sigh, Danger Mouse turned and glanced at the Baron's henchmen. "All right, I'll bargain with the two of you," he offered. "If you can put a stop to this disaster, I'll make sure the courts give the both of you a lighter sentence."

The crow and the feline looked at each other, smirked, and glared at the agent. "Actually, DM, we have a better idea," Sabrina responded as she and Stiletto slowly backed over to the back door. "You put a stop to it, and we'll run for our lives."

The recruit stepped forward. "You cowards!" he spat.

"It's survival of the fittest, pooch," Sabrina remarked. "You ought to be used to it by now." With that, she and her partner fled the scene.

Once again, the ground shook, only this time more violently. "Ooh crikey! Ooh heck! Ooh fiddle!" Penfold cried.

DM groaned, looking over the controls. "Penfold, shush!" he snapped.

It wasn't long until Judas started scrambling with the controls himself. "Dude, which one of these things turns it off??" he screamed.

The agent gave his recruit a cold stare. "If I knew that, Judas," he hissed, "then maybe I wouldn't be looking for it!"

To say the least, Ms. Coon was not at all thrilled. "Turn it off??" she yelled. "Have you gone absolutely balmy?! I'm stuck up here!"

Judas rolled his eyes. "You got that right," he muttered, looking over all the controls in frustration. "It's no use- I can't find it! There's only one way to handle this kind of situation!"

Perplexed, Danger Mouse turned to Judas. "_How_, might I ask?" he inquired.

Rubbing his palms together, Judas ran towards the controls, kicking his foot against the machine. For a moment, the room quieted as the machine seemed to shut down.

The American pooch smirked. "When all else fails," he murmured quite solemnly, "your foot is always the best tool."

At that moment, the controls abruptly started up again. The ground quaked greatly, the cement floor of the building cracking from the pressure below.

The recruit stood there with a blank expression on his face. "Well," he finally said, "there goes my philosophy."

The drama of the moment finally caught up to Penfold, who had wandered over to the controls. "Oh, the agony of defeat!" he wailed.

Needless to say, both DM and Judas were unamused (especially since they were in a seemingly hopeless situation). "Penfold, shush!" they bellowed.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them stopped shaking. A light rumbling followed, which seemed to gradually dissipate until no sound could be heard. The earth's core had moved back into place- the magnet was off!

Amazed, the agent and his recruit glanced at their assistant, who had unknowingly pressed his elbow on a large red button marked "**POWER**". 

Of course, Penfold himself was still oblivious to the fact that he had just saved the earth from certain destruction. "What?" he questioned. "What're you looking at me for?"

Danger Mouse smiled and approached his assistant. "Penfold, you've done it!" he exclaimed. "You've deactivated the magnet! You're a hero!"

Judas laughed lightly. "Yeah," he agreed, "I gotta admit- you really saved the day. Good job, little guy."

Rachel sighed heavily. "Pardon me for intruding, fellows," she interrupted, "but can you **please** get me down from here??"

Now, Judas had just about had enough of this agent, even if she _was_ pretty. "Under one condition," he replied sinisterly. "You admit that you lost to the world's _greatest_ secret agent- **Danger Mouse**- and his awesome little crew."

Ms. Coon rolled her eyes, but nevertheless cooperated. "Alright, fine!" she admitted. "You've won! Just get me down from here before I-"

Without warning, the raccoon agent began to slip away from the magnet until finally she fell into the chasm. Her scream echoed from the walls of the long, dark tunnel, sending chills down their spines.

As the courageous trio stared into the abyss, Judas glanced briefly at the agent. "Should I call for back-up?"

The White Wonder nodded solemnly. He knew that she was trained well, and she excelled almost to his abilities. There was no doubt that she could survive the fall, but the pure irony of their reckless wager still clouded his mind.

The recruit cringed slightly. "I'll go get the phone…"

Later that evening, Stiletto and Sabrina had been called into Baron Greenback's office. There was only one reason they could possibly be in there.

"You fools!" Greenback snapped. "How could you have let this happen?? You nearly ruined my plans! I ought to send you both back to your pathetic, miserable lives!!"

The two henchmen lowered their heads in despair. Stiletto purposely ran from home as a boy in his late teens to join the Baron's organization, mainly because he was a rebellious young lad who sought to make his own decisions. Sabrina had been institutionalized, suffering from major emotional stress involving disputes with her mother, when the Baron found her and put her in his care. Neither of them wanted to return to their old lifestyles- it would have brought back too many painful memories.

Seeing the pain in their eyes, the Baron sighed heavily. "Of course," he added, "henchmen with your loyalty, obedience, and diligence are hard to come by. So, instead, I resort to using… the Hit Box."

Confused, Sabrina glanced at Stiletto. "The Hit Box?" she inquired.

Stiletto cringed at the thought. "You don wanna know, Sabrina," he advised.

A small metal box rolled into the room, and each side had at least one door, each holding it's own tool of mild torture. The Baron, however, favored the large mallet which came from the top hatch.

Sabrina smirked, taking out a small controller from her pocket. "Well," she muttered, "I always did wanna try this out, and it looks like now I have the perfect moment." She pointed the controller at the Hit Box, fiddling with the knobs and buttons, and sure enough the machine followed her commands.

Baron Greenback was a tad perplexed to discover his Hit Box twirling about like this. "What is the meaning of this?!" he bellowed. 

Before Sabrina could answer and explain her experiment, the controller slipped out of her hands and fell to the floor, breaking on impact. The Hit Box suddenly went haywire, it's weapons all askew as it attacked the Baron's desk!

Shocked, Greenback grabbed Nero from the desk and ran from his office. Sabrina stood there as Stiletto ran behind her for protection. _Why did I even **think** that was a good idea??_ She pondered.

Suddenly, the Hit Box turned the two henchmen, speeding towards them. In an effort to save their hides, they turned tail and ran for dear life!

The dark-furred feline held her friend's wrist and dragged him along. "Don't worry, Stiletto!" she reassured. "When one plan fails, another is bound to work!"

Surprised, the Italian henchman turned to his partner. "You say you-a have another plan??" he questioned.

A familiar voice echoed through the hallway. "Stiletto! Sabrina!" Baron Greenback yelled.

Gasping for breath, Sabrina cringed. "Sure!" she answered, still running from the machine alongside the hench-crow. "I'll tell you as soon as I think of it!"

The next day, Danger Mouse was seated at the kitchen table, sipping his afternoon tea. He had just gotten back from another driving lesson with Judas, and needless to say, the experience did not go over very well.

After finishing his tea, DM walked into the parlor of his home to see Judas lying back on the couch. "Are you still suffering from that motion sickness of yours?" he inquired. "We got here ten minutes ago, and you're still sick?"

Judas groaned, holding his stomach. "It's got to be all those high speeds," he reasoned. "It goes back to when my dad entered my in the town's big car race, and I was sitting right next to him in the passenger's seat. Boy, did he break a town record- I couldn't keep anything down for a few days! Of course, I was only four, but still…"

The agent rolled his eyes- enough was enough. "Alright, Judas," he said, "I'm calling the professor. He must have _something_ for you-"

At that moment, a familiar face appeared onscreen… and it wasn't the professor. "Hello, Danger Mouse," she hissed. 

It was ten that Penfold sauntered into the room with a rather heavy book he was looking through. Upon seeing the raccoon's face, he dropped his foot, stubbing his toe. "Ooh, carrots!" he yelped. "Not this again!"

Needless to say, Danger Mouse himself was getting tired of this. "Ms. Coon," he addressed.

"I'll be blunt," Rachel spat. "Danger Mouse, the bargain we made was unjust. I demand we settle this dispute once and for all!"

Irritated, Judas stood from the couch and approached the view-screen. "No way!" he barked. "There is **no way** you're going to convince us to go through with that **again!** You lost to the better agent, so just face the facts!" With that, he slammed his hand on the keypad, shutting off the screen.

DM stood there for a moment, cocking his eyebrows. "Judas, was that really necessary?" he questioned.

The recruit shook his head. "Absolutely not," he replied, "but then again, my judgement is never that good while I'm **sick!**"

With a heavy sigh, the agent quickly called Professor Squawkencluck. _If his judgement is this bad when he's sick,_ he pondered, _I can't imagine what he would have said, had he been well enough…_

****

The End!! ^_^

PS- Sorry this one took me a while! I had school to worry about- tests, papers, homework! It's just too much!! Thankfully, I had enough time to wrap up this story. 

Also, the content of the story was actually pretty rushed, so I had little time to think the plot over. If I messed up somewhere, it's because of school and lack of sleep (from schoolwork). Still, I managed to finally get another story done, and that's a major accomplishment in itself, right? ^-^ Later!


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